Corruption: EFCC Presents More Witnesses Against Goje, Others

The trial of the Gombe State former Governor, Senator Mohammad Danjuma Goje continued today before Justice B Quadri at the Federal High Court Jos with four witnesses testifying. Goje alongside Aliyu El_Nafaty, S. M. Dokoro and Sabo Muhammad Tumu are being prosecuted by the Economic and financial crimes Commission, EFCC, on charges of

Conspiracy, money laundering and embezzlement of funds belonging to the Gombe State government At the resumed hearing today the prosecution presented two witnesses from the banks in which the Gombe State Government under Goje maintained accounts. First to testify was Efecineke Owofele of Access Bank and the 10th witness to be called by the prosecution. He narrated how a N5bn facility was disbursed to Gombe State Capital Projects accounts in trenches of N1bn on 2 November, 2010; N1bn on 30th November, 2010; N1bn on 12th January, 2011 and N2b on 24th February, 2011. He explained that after the disbursements, the money was moved to various Banks in favour of different companies. The account documents were tendered and admitted as exhibit.

The eleventh prosecution witness, Ipram Elisha, who is Zenith Bank’s head of operations/compliance officer, while being led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu informed the court that he is familiar with the Gombe State SUBEB/UBEC account number 1010731777 domicile at Zenith Bank Gombe. He stated that on the 15th and 23rd December, 2010, N830, 725, 682.82 was transferred from SUBEB/UBEC account. However, when Seyoji Muhammad Tukur, Gombe State Accountant General was called to give his evidence, the prosecution counsel urged the court to accept the statement of the witness as his testimony since it is primary evidence. This was objected by the defence counsel Chris Uche, SAN on the ground that the witness was in court. According to him the statement of the witness can only be substituted for testimony if he was dead or he is nowhere to be found. He was however over ruled by the Judge.

In his evidence, the Accountant General stated that based on the report received by his office, the contract for the supply of dictionaries were not completed. The Gombe State Appropriation Act of 2007 to 2011 was tendered as exhibit through the director legal services of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Barrister Rukaiyatu Adamu Jalo. The case was adjourned to June 21, 2017 for continuation of trial